Slain Baptist worker was ‘on-mission … all the time,’ friend recalls

David McDonnall was a master storyteller who was willing to die so that others
could hear the story of Jesus, close friends said in a memorial service for
the slain missions worker last week.

David McDonnall was a master storyteller who was willing to die so that others
could hear the story of Jesus, close friends said in a memorial service for
the slain missions worker last week.

He was an “on-mission Christian all the time,” friend Chris McKinney
said.

McKinney drew laughter and nods of agreement from the crowd packed into the
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary auditorium as he told about a time
he and McDonnall were standing in line at Wendys.

“All of a sudden, I heard David speaking in Arabic back behind me,”
McKinney said. “All I could think was, … Hes found the only
Arabic-speaking people in all of southwest Fort Worth and hes talking
to them. …

“Within 30 seconds of being at Wendys, David was on mission for
Jesus Christ, sharing the gospel with these people who had probably never heard
it before.”

McDonnall was one of four Southern Baptist missions workers killed in an attack
near Mosul, Iraq, earlier this month. He was a student at Southwestern before
heading to Iraq. His wife, Carrie, was wounded in the attack and has been returned
to a Dallas-area hospital, where she is in stable condition.

During the seminary memorial service for McDonnall, several friends spoke,
especially reflecting on his kindness.

“I consider David to be a hero of the faith,” one said. “However,
I remember thinking that before he died in Iraq.”

Another said McDonnall was driven to tell Arabic people about Christ. Still
another said McDonnalls own faith gave him great peace and calmness in
the face of adversity.

“This was a man who simply did not stress out,” he noted. “He
trusted the Lord to guide his steps.”

Earlier, at McDonnalls funeral and another memorial service, family and
friends reflected on his life.

McDonnalls family took great care to explain that life. Bulletin boards
presented photos and newsletters McDonnall had sent to describe his life and
work in Iraq. The service opened with projected pictures from Iraq and his earlier
work elsewhere in the region. In a video, McDonnall talked about why he and
his wife were going to such a dangerous place.

“We both strongly feel that God has called us to go to these people, knowing
that the love of God and the power of Christ can change any heart, can break
through any bond  and can turn people from violence into carrying the
Word of God and piercing the hearts of people, not with bullets, but with the
Word of God,” he said.

During the service, an overseas colleague reminded persons that McDonnall went
to Iraq in response to a passion in his heart to see people hear the gospel.

“He went to Iraq to live among a people who needed to know Jesus
story,” he said. “He did not go to Iraq to die. The dying had been
done years before, when he gave his life to Jesus Christ and he died to self.”

A presiding minister reminded persons that McDonnalls service in Iraq
and his death should not be seen as unusual.

“I dont believe what David did was out of the ordinary for people
really possessed of the love of God,” he said. “I just dont
think there are a lot of people willing to do it, either over there or here.”
(BP)

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Editorial

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